From around the World
Part XII
Moogan
Rattle Snakes (Rattlers): A venomous snake common to Utah wildlife. They hide under rocks searching for their next meal of rodent. Whilst bites rarely lead to death if treated quickly, getting bitten is not a pleasant experience.
One of the difficulties facing staff at any animal shelter is combating boredom. When you think about it, it is a conundrum we don’t really give much thought to. It is automatically considered that providing accommodation and food is enough, sadly, it is not. Stimulation is a necessity to prevent boredom, which in turn leads to bad behaviour. So the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah is one of those that encourages volunteers to take a resident for a walk to give them some exercise and a change of scenery. Naturally, this is also good for volunteers, as they also get exercise.
On this particular occasion the dog involved was Moogan a particularly elderly resident who due to his ill health has become a permanent fixture.
On Tuesday, in question one, Dan Fishbein was the volunteer who was chosen to take Moogan for his exercise period. As the walk progressed, Dan received a swift change in direction from Moogan. It wasn’t a panicky nudge; Moogan just appeared to be trying to draw his attention to an issue that he needed to be aware of. Sure enough, as Dan looked down, he saw what was just on the ground in front of him. A rattlesnake! One step more and he would have trod on the snake with the resultant consequences..
Dan remains so grateful that Moogan gave him a warning that saved him from receiving a nasty snake bite, particularly given Moogan’s condition.
Despite being a very energetic puppy, it was soon discovered that this delightful dog had an incurable illness. Moogan suffers from Sudden Acquired Retinal Degeneration (SARD)
Moogan is totally blind.
Skye
Whilst this illegal haul doesn’t rate as the crime of the century, when I saw what the dog had found, I just couldn’t resist including this in the Around the World series. I must admit I have come across instances of sniffer dogs finding just about every type of contraband there is to find, albeit by accident, but this is a first for me.
In June this year, 2025, trading standards officers were on patrol in Whitechapel in the London borough of Tower Hamlets.
Now, for the benefit of anyone unfamiliar with these individuals, they are the people who ensure that goods available for sale in the UK comply with the law on consumer rights, safety, and pricing. Bearing in mind that, regardless of where you live, there are always going to be people who want to make a dishonest deal in order to make money, and plenty of folks willing to take a risk. The most common items that can be obtained through a dubious source are alcohol, cigarettes and vapes.
The trading standards officers were accompanied by a Springer Spaniel named Skye, trained to find tobacco products, who showed a keen interest in a parked delivery bicycle. The officers examined the contents of the items stored in the panniers, and sure enough, there they were the expected illegal cigarettes, tobacco, vapes and….wait for it
80 unlicensed erectile dysfunction tablets!!
I guess the only question that needs an answer is, are they now hardened criminals?
Detained by Police
It started innocently enough, just another call to the police department. A resident had become aware of a stray dog outside her home, unfortunately, with two dogs of her own she was unable to allow the dog into her house, but with temperatures plummeting she couldn’t just leave him there.
Having tried to find out whether the dog belonged to any of her neighbours without success, she called the police. Enter the Milford Police Department officers who arrived promptly and detained the canine on suspicion of vagrancy. The vagrant canine was detained whilst inquiries were made as to his ownership, and maybe to give time for the owner to claim him. This did not occur, and, with no collar or microchip, the elderly mutt was handed over to Oakland Animal Control, where it was determined he was around 8-9 years old, a bit deaf, and needed some dental work.
Despite being the guardians of law and order, something strange occurred: our rough-and-tough police officers were smitten with the stray, and they monitored his progress with Animal Control. With no home on the horizon and the dog’s age, adoption was going to be a problem. The police officers decided that if the unwanted dog was going to be stuck in a shelter for the foreseeable future, then maybe they should consider permanently detaining him themselves. Whilst he was at the station initially had already been given the name of Lil’ Craig because for some reason he chose to hang around the office of an officer Craig who was on holiday.
He was neutered, had 7 teeth extracted, and Lil’ Craig is now the permanent meeter and greeter and is an arresting sight at the Milford Police Department. Whilst fire stations in America are noted for the adoption of a resident canine acting as a therapy dog, given the stressful nature of the job, it is stressed that Lil’ Craig is not a working or therapy dog; however, regardless of his title, he is doing wonders for morale!!
“A good man takes care of his horses and dogs, not only when they are young but when they are old and past service.”
Plutarch
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